771. They who indulge the memory alone, or studies that are a matter of memorizing, or other studies but only for the sake of the memory, in the other life understand very little about what spiritual truth is, still less what heavenly truth is. They remain fixed in their own personal ideas, which form a kind of callus surrounding their brain like bone, or skull; and this callosity has first to be cast off, before truth can penetrate, and before spiritual and heavenly knowledge can have any abode.
This callus is dispersed only with difficulty, and in fact, only with pain, or if perchance without these, then it has to soften, as it were, over a long period of time. Many experiences have shown this to me, and each time, the depiction of a callus amazed me.
771. The man who indulges in the memory only, that is, in such studies as are of the memory, or in other things only for the sake of the memory, in the other life has very little understanding of what spiritual truth is, and still less what celestial. He remains fixed in his own particular ideas, which form a callosity, as it were, by which his brain is encompassed as with bone, or with a skull. This callosity must first be shaken off before the truth can penetrate, and before spiritual and celestial cognitions can have any place. Such callosity is dissipated with difficulty, and indeed with suffering, or if perchance in some other way it must become as though softened after a considerable lapse of time. This has been shown me by much experience, and just as often have I wondered at the representation of this callosity.
771. Qui memoriae solum indulget, seu talibus studiis, quae memoriae sunt, seu aliis 1
solum memoriae causa, tunc [is] homo in altera vita perparum intelligit quid veritas spiritualis, minus coelestis, permanet in suis ideis particularibus, quae quasi callum formant 2
, quo cerebrum ejus, tanquam osse, seu cranio cinctum est, quod callosum prius excutiendum est, antequam penetrare possit veritas, et cognitiones spirituales et coelestes aliquem locum habere possunt; talis callus aegre dissipatur, et quidem cum dolore, fortassis si aliter, per multum temporis, debet quasi mollescere, tale mihi per plurem experientiam ostensum est, et toties miratus repraesentationem calli.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has alia
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has format